PoliticsNY’s latest special edition, Inside Government: Public Schools features the government officials shaping New York’s public schools and overall educational landscape. Today’s Q&A is with New York State Senator Shelley Mayer. Senator Mayer is chair of the New York State Senate Committee on Education and represents the 37th Senate District.
What are your current education-focused legislative priorities?
My priority is making sure every student across the state – urban, suburban, and rural – has access to a high-quality public education. That means continuing to address funding inequities, strengthen literacy instruction, expand high-quality early childhood education, and ensure students are prepared for college, careers, and civic life.
How does the work of your committee impact everyday New Yorkers?
The Senate Education Committee is critical to all New Yorkers because it is the central point for decisions about school funding and operation, to the extent that the NYS budget or state legislation is implicated. Committee members play a major role in determining both funding and legislative directives that directly affect students, parents, educators, and school districts, and indirectly affect school property taxes in almost all communities.
Is there a piece of education-focused legislation that you are proud to have passed?
I am proud that we were finally able to achieve full funding of Foundation Aid, which NYS owed to every public school district, legislation to provide free breakfast and lunch to every student, and quality full-day Pre-K for all four-year-olds over the next two years. I’m also proud we limited ICE activity in schools to warrants signed by a judge, and reaffirmed every child’s right to enroll in public school regardless of immigration status.
What changes would you like to see made to New York’s education system?
I want stronger connections between K-12 education, higher education, and workforce pathways, including expanding opportunities like P-TECH and college-in-high-school programs. I also want to ensure that every student receives high-quality civics education, limits on technology and AI in schools, and access to sports and arts in every school.
How do you expect the educational landscape in New York to change over the next five years?
I anticipate that technology and AI will become increasingly present in the lives of our students, but we must be thoughtful on how these tools should be used. I suspect we will limit technology in the early grades and refocus on students’ social and emotional health, and broaden education on prejudice and hatred, including antisemitism. I anticipate attention to declining enrollments in many districts and how to make smart fiscal decisions about school funding.
